A Game of Hide and Seek
"Shall we play a game?"
Eric leaned back slightly, concealing his face once more in the darkness.
"A game of hide and seek, to see who finds whom first."
Eric's deliberately hoarse voice sounded unsettling, coupled with his hidden face but glowing orange eyes, it sent shivers down the spines of the aristocratic men and women of the Owl Council.
As if he were the owl and the others were beasts lurking in the night, hunting the owl.
"No one dares to whisper our names, no one dares to disrespect us!"
The voice of the robed council leader was full of suppressed anger. "You will pay for this! A price that not even blood can repay, Homelander!"
"I'll be waiting!"
Eric's voice betrayed no emotion, "But before that, you must hide in the alcoves, otherwise, once I find you, your ambitions and desires will be destroyed by me, your wealth and fame seized by me, and the so-called 'Owl Council' will vanish."
"You rodents have overlooked one important thing, that you are nothing but dust and shadows, never having control over this city."
Click!
As Eric finished his words, the remote connection was interrupted.
The noble men and women of the council hall looked at each other, their expressions varied.
Even though they were threatened and insulted by Eric, their emotions, apart from anger, were more of concern.
The fact that he could easily dispatch Chris and leave them with no response indicated he was no ordinary person.
"I think..."
After a moment of silence, the council president looked up at the diverse faces of the assembly.
"It's time to initiate our plan. The council's existence has been challenged by the enemy, this city has become diseased, and the simplest way to deal with a disease is to cut out its infected parts. Though we do not know the identity of this 'Homelander,' any speculation must consider him as one of our enemies."
With that, he raised the owl feather in his hand and addressed the assembly, "I propose the initiation of the purge plan, to clear those who have been marked as 'enemies' by the council."
Apart from those who defy the council's will, who else bears animosity towards the Owl Council?
So, taking advantage of this opportunity, the president proposed the long-planned "purge plan."
Despite some hesitation among the assembly, ultimately, they raised the feathers in their hands to signify their agreement.
On the other end of the remote video call, Eric was unaware of the Owl Council's plans.
Even if he knew, he would simply say, "As expected."
The reason for provoking the other party with such arrogance was merely to goad them into action and reveal their hand.
His super-vision wasn't fully unlocked; it could cover all of Smallville without issue, but covering the entirety of Metropolis was beyond his current capabilities.
Standing up, Eric cleaned up all traces, observed his residence with his super-vision, and took note of all suspicious items such as notebooks and documents, taking them with him.
"You seem a bit distracted."
Smallville, Luthor Manor.
Lex dialed the number labeled "Journalist K" on his phone but couldn't get through.
Seated next to him, his female companion noticed his unusual expression and asked, "Are you alright, Lex?"
"I'm fine, it's just that some things have exceeded expectations."
Lex put down his phone and shrugged.
"I always thought you were always in control, Lex."
"No one can always win, Victoria."
Lex sat back on the couch, raising a glass of Paloma. "Even Emperor Napoleon wasn't exempt."
"I didn't think you'd be interested in history."
Victoria, with her charming figure and lazy demeanor, smiled.
"Actually, I'm not interested in history, but in men who conquer the world before thirty."
"Oh, then you needn't worry, you have several more years."
Victoria teased.
Lex took a sip of Paloma and placed the glass on the table. "Victoria, did you know the Luthor family has Dutch roots?"
"Oh?"
Victoria looked surprised. "This is the first time I've heard you mention it."
"The Luthor family were early European immigrants to the Americas, with Dutch ancestry. It's a family that produces talents, scholars, doctors, scientists, educators, writers, and missionaries. When a family proliferates enough, it faces various problems, much like a business. Bloated, inefficient, and nepotistic."
"So, is that why you're pressuring my father to help you seize control of Luthor Enterprises, to help you gain the upper hand?" Victoria asked with a smile.
"No."
Lex shook his head. "The above discussion about the family was just a passing sentiment. What I really wanted to say was: when a family is old enough, it will have various legends, absurd urban legends. Such as—controlling the lifelines of the city from the shadows, lurking in the metropolis, a group of rulers in the darkness, like owls that never sleep, monitoring your every move in the dark."
"Hmm, interesting."
Victoria nodded. "I've never heard my father talk about such urban legends."
"That's understandable, after all, Sir Harry's main focus is international trade and not on the city. Just like the daughter of a multinational industrial giant wouldn't rekindle old flames when she flies around the world, even if she's an executive vice president."
"I understand."
Victoria looked enlightened. "You're beating around the bush so much, suspecting why I would rekindle old flames with you?"
"No, of course not, Victoria, you're always good at making baseless associations."
Lex changed his sitting position. "To get back on track, I always thought it was an urban legend until I met a journalist, let's call him Journalist K. After spending some time with him and investigating, I began to suspect if such an organization existed."
"Journalist K, why not call him by name?" Victoria asked.
"Generally, when I use a code name for someone, it indicates my trust in them is close to zero."
"What about me?"
Victoria leaned towards him with a smile. "Can I know what letter my name starts with in your phone book?"
"Sorry, classified."
Lex smiled and put his phone back in his pocket.
On the other side of the town, Eric, who had just returned home, encountered some minor trouble.
"Eric."
As soon as he entered his room, there was a knock on his door.
Eric frowned.
Why would Clark be looking for him now?
Had he seen him outside earlier?
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